Forfeit
by Ritsul
Summary: This is Berk. Home to many citizens who's nerves are as hard as steel and their muscles even harder. Our war with the dragons was recently declared over, yet there is still something wrong. And I know exactly what it is.
1. Chapter 1

This is Berk. Located in the northern half of the sector of anguish. This is our village. It is a nice self-sustaining place. With plenty of work and entertainment. The most exciting thing is dragon training. What every child looks forward to in their lives. My name's Atli. I had one year left before I was welcomed into the kill ring. That was until everything changed.

I stepped out of my house, jumping back as a beast passed by, my friend waving from atop it. I felt my nose wrinkle at the sight. What would our ancestors say about that?

Vikings had been fighting dragons on the island of Berk for almost seven generations. So, why change so suddenly? Most of it can be blamed on Hiccup, the community screw-up. He never managed anything right, yet everyone eagerly fell to his side. I just couldn't see what all the other villagers could. It wasn't right. They were riding and feeding the monsters. The display was so backwards.

That's why I refuse to have anything to do with them.

But, it's not an idea I can easily explain to others. They have been controlled too much by Hiccup and his parlor tricks. All those things he in the kill ring were fake. He hadn't accomplished anything. Those stories about the Green Death and how well Hiccup defeated it are all tall tales. There's no way someone that scrawny could take down an atrocious monster so big.

Shaking my head, I continued down to the docks. The demand for fish had increased a lot since the beasts started living here. At the rate it was going, we were going to starve come winter. As if it wasn't bad enough before. I climbed onto the tattered boat, a hand-me-down from my brother. Our father had built him a new one recently, so his trusted ship was in my hands now.

With great care, I pulled the rope from the rail and set off towards the deeper waters where the best liked to hide. I had just gotten to my chosen point and spotted some nice catch when Hiccup and his increasingly annoying dragon passed overhead, tipping my boat and scaring the fish. A faint apology could be heard coming from the kid as he resumed his race. That's all they ever did anymore. Race each other around the settlement and the clouds, tearing apart the town.

I struggled a little in the water, trying to tip my vessel right again. After a bit of flailing with little success, the nuisance appeared.

"Hey, do you want a little help?" His offer had fallen on deaf ears. I swiftly refused, claiming competence. Yet, I knew it was impossible to hope that the ship would ever be flipped by my strength alone. He could evidently tell.

He lowered his ride, terrifying whatever underwater creatures had returned to the area and adding to my uneasiness. The black foot grabbed an end of a loose tethering rope, slowly tugging it to set the boat up. I glared up at them with my vague statement of gratitude as I climbed in, setting for the docks. There was no hope of catching anything decent around there.

Hiccup followed me to the shore, landing his beast on the planks and climbing down. "You never told me why you don't have a dragon yet." I should have expected that, yet I felt slight panic. I had managed to hide my hate and distaste from the citizens so far. They would only pester me into believing their ways.

"I don't." Obviously not enough to satisfy him.

"I'm sure you can find one you like," he insisted. He may have seemed like he was looking out for others, but he was really attempting to control me with the rest of them. It only angered me.

"No," I offered my simple response and shoved passed him to head back up to town. I stepped as far to the side as I could to avoid his pet, keeping watchful eye on the thing. It took a second to realize what was happening. My foot had gotten too close to the edge and I began to fall. I had barely let out a scream when Hiccup latched onto my arm, almost loosing grip before he succeeded in pulling me to safety. I shoved his grip away and rotated to the ramps, fully embarrassed.

"Wait!" I spun around fiercely when he called. I was done talking to him. "You didn't answer my question." He was curiously persistent. My eyes squinted to a glower as I turned and began walking. He chased after me, keeping up with my agitated pace. With a slight tilt of my head, I could see his dragon tailing behind. "I'm sorry I tipped over your boat."

I gave him a slight questioning look as I didn't understand why he had brought that up. "Never mind. That's nothing." I tried to disperse the abashing topic.

"Then why are you so angry?" He actually seemed to get irritated. His true self was showing.

I whirled toward him, stepping threateningly close. "You all are a disgrace to this village. Siding with them. Keeping them as pets. Its disgusting. You're disgusting." With that I sprinted towards the mead hall, avoiding the abominable creatures as much as possible.

With a step inside, I knew it was a mistake. They were even allowed where we eat. I closed the door behind me and headed for home, fully aggravated. It was so unbelievable. I had to do something about it. I couldn't continue to live with these pests everywhere. I had to discover someone who was still sane enough to realize it.


	2. Chapter 2

I could easily tell that Hiccup was avoiding me. After I snapped at him, it didn't surprise me. I easily accepted it as the lack of communication didn't bother me. I went about my days alone, as the villagers began to spend more time with their dragons than each other. On my boat, solitude was comfort, something natural.

The fish had began swimming further away from Berk in fear of their natural predators, and I had to chase them out, sailing longer each day do get anything good. Those pests were ruining everything more than when we fought them. I would much rather have them burning down our houses than living in them. As I thought to myself, a slight fog began to roll in, obscuring my view of the island. I welcomed the clouds as they shaded any sight of a dragon. I began to relax in my privacy, letting my eyes begin to slip closed after casting out my nets into the ocean.

I was jostled away by a large wave collapsing against the side of my small boat, nearly tipping me overboard. The white fog had easily turned into a dark mass. Grateful that it had yet begun to rain, I pulled in my traps, finding a few miniscule fish inside.

I shoved the sad excuse for a catch out of my mind as I focused on returning to the docks before I was dumped into the salty sea again. I turned the ship and began to paddle towards the large towers of Berk. The trip proved difficult, as the waves were crashing against me propelled by the wind. I was nearly there when large wings began tossing the water around me even more.

"Throw up a rope, we'll help," His voice was barely audible over the wind, but I could still interpret the offer. And it had seemed that I had no choice as the large rain began to pelt down and the wind picked up noticeably. I stood, wrapping a rope around the dragon's head carved into the vessel, tying it and tossing the other end up.

The beast caught it and was turned toward home. I immediately began my sulking. I couldn't believe that I had allowed one of those things to assist me. I should have said 'no' and made my own way back to the docks. Due to my poor decision, I stormed off the docks as soon as my ship was safely tethered, not even sparing a thank you.

Having dismounted his ride, Hiccup surprisingly followed me to the mead hall. He continuously tried to strike up conversation on the way, but the storm was loud and I was unwilling.

Before we reached the building's entrance, he caught my arm. "I don't get it. I've been thinking about it, but I can't figure it out." My bewildered expression pressed him for details. "I just can't seem to understand it from your view."

I was still slightly confused, but I comprehended enough to give a terse response as I spun towards the hall. "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter," He stopped me again. "Please, Atli."

The request baffled me slightly. The all-knowing Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was stumped. My eyes easily shaped a glare. "Why? What do you want from me?" I was sick of playing puzzles with him. I wanted a straight and full answer.

"I only want to grasp this. You obviously don't like them..." His frown deepened slightly at the statement.

"No, really? I'm getting out of the rain, " My tone was saturated in sarcasm before I muttered my last sentence as I spun away. This was getting tedious. I started toward my house, not bothering for a meal.

To my dismay, he trailed me the entire way, although he remained quiet. As I reached the front door, I addressed him, "Okay. Whatever. Just come in." I left the door open for him and noticed his timidness at the entry way, "Well, close the door already."

He did so and walked to where I had chosen a seat at the table and took one across from me. We sat in silence for a while as I awkwardly shifted items around the table and he awkwardly glanced about the room.

"So, can you explain it to me?" His voice startled me.

"I should really be asking you that. After such a long time of fighting the dragons, you expect us to just suddenly become buddies?" I tried to keep my volume down as I asserted my opinion. "It's not right. It's insane."

I could hear his sigh. "You really don't get it," His eyes averted from the table to look at me. "We don't have to kill them. They're not what we thought they were."

I rolled my eyes, having heard the exact statements on more than one occasion before standing angrily, "But that doesn't mean we must keep them as house pets! They've threatened us for generations! They've killed so many of us! And you just let them run wild around our homes! Its preposterous!"

I looked down at the top of Hiccup's head as he thought. I was met closely with his face as he suddenly turned up, causing me to take a step back.

"You've never ridden a dragon, have you?" His expression was difficult to read, but it struck me with fear.


	3. Chapter 3

I never thought of Hiccup as having any strength. He was smaller than most of the villagers, even those younger than him, and he was never any good at fighting. Yet, he was able to drag me out of my house and towards his. He called his dragon once and it was by our side, startling me into flinching back and almost loosing my balance.

I kept my distance from the menacing beast. He had once been the terror of our entire tribe, the thing we feared the most. Now, he was this kid's fluffy pet. The great Night Fury had been reduced to a puppy.

As I cautiously eyed the animal, I began backing away. I had made a point not to get close to the things, yet there I was, able to reach out and touch him if I had desired to. But, of course, I didn't. Only a fool would willingly risk his life in such a way.

Hiccup noticed my cautiousness and grabbed my arm again, pulling me closer."Hey, what are you doing? Let go." I began to tug away from him as I spoke in a whisper, afraid to frighten the dragon in anyway,

"It's okay. It's fine," he tried to assure me, yet it was wasted. I didn't trust a word he said.

"Let go of me. Are you insane?" He let me rip away from him with my protests. He let me stare at Toothless for a minute before trying again. He grabbed my hand and slowly led it towards his pet's shoulder. "W-wait, stop. It's a dragon."

"It's fine. He won't hurt you." He continued to push me closer to the beast and, eventually, my fingertips hit rough black scales. I jumped a little with the contact, but when the animal made only a slight move to turn his face towards us, I calmed. The skin felt odd, not like the pelts we kept as blankets, rugs and various other items. It was softer, more flesh-like. It was warm, as well.

After a moment, Toothless made a noise and I jumped back, taking a few paces away. I couldn't decide whether to run or back away slowly. As I never had the chance to go through dragon training, I didn't actually know much about the animals. I wasn't sure what the animal would do based on my judgments, so I choose to play it safe and take my time. I kept my gaze just off of the dragon, wary of seeming threatening.

Hiccup took a few steps closer to me, "Just wait a second," He turned to his dragon and said something to it as I froze, unable to determine what instructions he was giving to the beast. The animal spread his wings slowly as I continued to step away before he took off into the air.

With the evil pest gone, I turned and began walking normally towards home. And, as predicted, Hiccup followed.

"See, that wasn't so bad. And he didn't hurt you." His attempt at convincing me was slightly amusing. As if just touching one will change my mind completely. I had to admit it was amazing, but that wasn't enough to persuade me. I didn't even address him, merely giving a slight roll of my eyes. "Come on, at least give them a chance," His request was on the brink of a beg.

I stopped and turned to him with a slight glare. "Why? Why should I? They never gave us chances. They're monsters!"

He frowned at the comment, "They are not monsters. They are really kind if you are kind to them."

This caused me to pause. I had never seen Hiccup actually angry before. "I-I... whatever." I turned away, jogging for the safety of my house. "You're all insane."

The next morning was a somewhat usual one on Berk. The clouds hung low and gray and, save for the assorted dragons flying around, the sky was empty. I stepped out onto the soaked grass and headed for the arena. I walked up to the still broken gap in the chains and guardrails. The broken metal proved the intense destruction that the Night Fury could easily bring down on us all.

I peered down to the new form of dragon training. I was asked soon after the change to join the next round, but I quickly declined. The sight was sickening. There was a small child, younger than the original admittance age, in the ring with her hand placed against the nose of Astrid's Nadder. Another kid was admiring Toothless as Hiccup explained something to the group.

It was peaceful. There were no flinging of fireballs, no snapping of jaws, no axes, no shields, no fights. It was vikings and dragons in one place, yet no battles. It was confusing, yet peaceful. Very peaceful...

I turned away as the class ended. I really didn't want to get caught watching, as people would misunderstand. Mainly, Hiccup. But, as I feared, he saw me and called out. My cheeks began to burn as I refused to turn around and continued walking.

He caught up to me a little ways away, dragon following closely behind, "Just go on one ride."

"No." I brushed him off.

"One ride!" He snapped, angry again. And, this time as well, I was taken aback. "A single ride."

I hesitated. Agreeing put me at the mercy of a dragon, but refusing put me at the mercy of an aggrivated Hiccup. He would never leave me alone about it until I at least pretended to give the beasts a chance. "F-fine. Alright. One ride. That's it." His anger disappeared and he called toothless closer, climbing atop and reaching a hand down towards me.

The evil green eyes watched me as I watched them, slowly making my way to the shoulder. I cautiously placed my hand on the dragon, but didn't reach up for help. I stared at the scales, their close proximity terrifying me. There was no way I could see that skin in such detail. There was no way I was that close.

"It's alright. Just climb up." His voice startled me and I flinched obviously. He shook his hand a little to remind me that it was there and I grasped it, finally pulling myself into the saddle. I grasped the back of Hiccup's shirt with white knuckles. The fright was already forcing shivers into my arms and spine.

With a signal from his master, Toothless slowly raised his wings.


	4. Chapter 4

The dragon took off into the air, tilting dangerously. I felt myself sliding back in the saddle, yet I could do nothing to stop myself. Before I slid fully off, Hiccup reached around with a little difficulty and grabbed my arm, pulling me upright. As soon as I had my balance again, I latched onto Hiccup, wrapping my arms around his stomach and gripping the front of his shirt. I squeezed my eyes closed. There was no way to describe the pure terror I felt in the sky. I could feel my entire body shaking and the bite of the cold, after-storm wind against my skin.

"Slow down!" I was barely able to voice my complaint. Hiccup slowed the dragon a little, attempting to comply to my demand. I could feel him try to look back at me, a difficult task due to my tight grip around his torso, yet somehow he managed.

"Open your eyes," I couldn't tell if it was a request or a demand, but I shook my head at it either way. "Come on, you want to see this," he assured, nudging me a little.

I slid one eye open to a slight squint, raising my lid a little more at the sight of Berk from above. I felt a little bad that I was normally missing such a view, but I accepted it easily enough because the dragons were the only source to it. At a glance of the ocean underneath us, my eyes slammed shut again and my grip tightened. I buried my head into his back, unable to endure the fear any longer, "Let me down."

"Just a little longer." I dreaded the statement.

"No. Let me down." I repeated my request, unable to move. He sighed a bit before steering the animal down towards Berk. The falling sensation was much worse than the actual flying. I was sure the pressure on his stomach from my arms was almost unbearable.

We landed and I released the breath that I had been holding, yet I was unable to climb down. Hiccup jumped to the ground and then managed to pull me after him. I glanced back at the beast before sprinting around the nearest tree. I leaned against the large trunk, using it's mass to support myself before I slid to the ground, placing my head in my pulled-up knees.

Hiccup ran after me, apologizing the entire way. "Oh, Gods. That was a really bad idea." He knelt beside me. "Are you okay?"

It did surprise me, but I was too shocked to respond appropriately. I nodded and focused on my breathing.

"Ah, man. I am so sorry. I should have known better."

I gave a simple shake of my head, not even sure what exactly it meant, myself. I took a moment to calm my mind. "I-it wasn't too bad. I just... I guess I'm just not used to it," I attempted to excuse my fear, but I had a feeling he wasn't going to fall for it. Either way, he remained silent.

After a few minutes and a lot of deep breaths, I stood. Hiccup did the same yet walked back to his dragon instead of following me. I made my way back to my house, thankfully passing no one. After closing my door lightly, I headed to my bed and laid down. The comfort of the familiar smelling pillow and the normal texture of the dragon pelt blanket felt nice and I slowly drifted off to sleep.

I awoke to a knock the front door. Knowing fully well that no one else would answer, I slid out from the warmth and headed down the stairs. Hiccup was standing on my front step, looking rather mischievous. I left the door open for him and turned into the kitchen for some breakfast.

"What do you want?" I was too tired to deal with him, despite the large amount of sleep I had achieved.

"I want to show you something." His grin widened a bit.

I rolled my eyes, "You really expect me to trust you?"

"There won't be any dragons. I promise." The assurance did help. And I trusted him enough to follow through with a promise like that.

I stared at the roll I had in my hand for a moment before setting it back in the basket. "Alright, fine."

We headed into the forest. The ground was soft and the moss-like grass was fluffy. Not many people spent time within the trees since everyone had their jobs and chores. After a while of walking in mostly silence, we came across an impression in the grass. I knelt down, feeling the semi-circular trail that lead from a large broken tree to the slight cliff. "What is this?"

"It's where Toothless landed." I had heard the story of how Hiccup found Toothless a few times and I was familiar enough with it to know that he was talking about after he had shot the Night Fury out of the sky. I had never believed someone like him could catch a Night Fury and the supposed proof didn't sway my judgment in the slightest.

I stood, heading to the drop-off. "So, he fell off here?"

After I caught Hiccup's slight nod, I headed down, almost loosing my balance part way. I slipped the rest of the incline and caught my self on the large rock sitting at the bottom. I walked around it and noticed the bolas on the ground, weights scattered about and ropes cut to pieces. I was a little amazed that it had been left there.

He started off further down the hill, "Come on, it's this way." He led for a while until he stopped at a small tunnel-like opening. It led down to a beautiful clearing. The high cliffs all around gave it privacy and the waterfall dumping into the clear lake gave small tidal sounds. There were a few birds chirping from a near-by tree.

"This is where I first met Toothless," He explained. "We spent a lot of time here." He climbed down to the ground of the valley, looking at me to follow him. The grass was a different texture. It looked like small green swords poking from the earth.

"It's really pretty, but I don't see why you brought me here." I turned to him.

His pause grew longer and longer, causing me to wonder if he was even going to answer. "I don't know."

"So you brought me here for no reason?" I headed for the way out, turning back when he responded.

"Well, not 'no reason'..." He shrugged his shoulders a little.

"But you can't tell me why." I checked.

"Yeah." He knew he had been led right into a trap, but was unable to get out of it.

"Well, then there's no point in me being here. I have some fishing to do." And with that, I climbed back up and found my way to the docks.


	5. Chapter 5

The fog was much thicker than it had ever been. It blanketed the village in an ample puff of gray, and would not disperse, though mid-day wasn't far off. No viking dared to fly a dragon when things were only visible for a few feet. Knowing this, I stayed well away from the mead hall where the majority of the villagers and their "pets" would be spending their free time.

I headed for my boat, looking forward to the comfort and shade of the clouds. Getting down the arduously high cliff above the shore gave me difficulty. I had to keep a slow pace and keep watch to make sure I didn't walk off the ramp that led the way, and, as soon as I reached the dock, I had to be cautious of the edge. Drowning in this weather promised no assistance from another person.

My boat cast a shadow through the bleak gray as I walked up to it. I untethered it and hopped in. On the trip out further onto the sea, I organized the various items in the vessel. I untangled my ropes and gave everything a proper place. As I decided I was far enough away from the village, I glanced down at my nets.

What was the point in tossing the traps into the water? I caught a measly ten or so fish a day. The vikings that used their dragons, like my brother and Hiccup on occasion, could catch three or four times that. It was all useless. My nets, my lines, my boat, myself. All useless.

I glanced aimlessly into the darkening sky. There wasn't much I could do about that. If only those dragons hadn't come to live with us. We were going against everything our ancestors had created for us. All the weapons and fighting tactics that were passed on through the generations were going to waste. And what good is a viking if there's nothing to fight. What were we supposed to do if there wasn't an enemy for us to attack.

As the sun had yet to show itself, and the air began to grow cooler. Noticing it, I dreaded the coming winter. The cold and snow assail us suddenly and are adamant about leaving soon. So, we shuffle through the months, dreaming of the few rainy, yet warm months.

Noticing the pounding sound of wings, I glared in the direction, wondering who would be stupid enough to come out this far on a dragon. I contemplated on this for a moment, coming up with a decently sized list before I heard my name being called out.

"Atli! Atli! Where are you?" There was no mistaking the sound of Hiccup's voice.

I let a slightly grave sigh loose, "Over here!"

As he was not far away, Hiccup found me quickly. "Come on, you have to get back to shore. There's a huge storm on the way."

I rolled my eyes a bit, it wasn't like a viking had never been caught out at sea during a storm before. I grabbed up my oars and began rowing.

"Let me help you. You won't make it back in time by yourself." With this, I knew there was something going on. It just seemed so unusual. Seeing the rope still tied to the head of my boat, I tossed it up to him before taking up the oars again.

Between the three of us (Well, Toothless and I did all the work), we got to shore quicker than any viking ship I had seen. With my ship tied extra tight to the dock, we started up the ramp. The fog had begun to disperse slightly, and we could walk up easier than it had been to travel down.

As we headed for the mead hall, Hiccup explained, "The elder is having everyone gather together. She thinks this may be the worst storm Berk has seen."

Now, that statement was difficult to believe. I, myself, had seen some pretty monstrous storms in my life. And I knew that the elder had seen many times more. Not to mention that if there is any weather on Berk, it's dreadful.

On our way in, we passed Stoick the Vast. His expression gravely supported Hiccup's information. His eyes were squinted into a glare and his mouth was tucked into a frown. The combination created a deep scowl upon his face.

We closed the door behind us and I shoved my way to a relatively secluded corner. The population of dragons almost out numbered the vikings, and how they all managed to fit into one room together amazed me. The space was horribly cramped, yet all villagers and their pets were accounted for.

Hiccup followed me back while muttering, mostly, to himself. "There must be something wrong. We've had such bad weather recently, but it's too early to be winter." I listened to him mumble on as we found a couple seats.

"Maybe its just a rain storm." I disputed apathetically. Yet, before Hiccup could respond, a large peal of thunder shattered through the hall and strained silence among the people.


	6. Chapter 6

After a moment, a small child began to wail. The previous conversations were dismissed and replaced with frantic complaints, fears and ideas. Within all this, I sat, staring at the ceiling. My ears were completely unfamiliar to the initial deafening crash and those that soon followed.

Along with the thunder came bright flashes of lightning, only seen from the crack underneath the main door. Yet, the light was so illuminate and so purely white that I could tell it lit up like day.

At the thought of the outside, I noticed something and turned to Hiccup, nudging his arm a little. "Hiccup, where's Stoick?"

At that he jumped up, heading for the door. Before he could even reach it, several people had stopped him and held him back. After the older villagers had sat him on a nearby bench, I went over.

"He's fine. He's not one to be taken out by a simple storm," I assured, fully believing the sentence myself.

"Yeah, you're right." He set his head in his hands, obviously still distraught. Sensing his master's state, Toothless stepped over lightly. I glared a little at the monster, but did nothing more. He was Hiccup's friend and he needed the comfort and distraction from his worry.

The hall quieted down fairly quickly as people settled into their states of anxiety. A few parents instructed a group of children on a game they could play, and some others began cooking up a large meal. After a few minutes, two or three of the larger vikings burst through the door, arms filled with various provisions.

The items were quickly distributed while the bearers of the supplies argued with others. They wanted to go get more. However, their opposition stated that it was too dangerous and ordered them to stay put.

I settled into the wooden bench as much as possible. It was obvious we were going to be there a while, and there was no point in fretting over the inevitable. Hiccup wasn't so easily calmed. His gaze never left the door for more than a moment, and he didn't even notice the blanket rested upon his shoulders.

He remained like that until his father stepped in the door, beyond soaked and tired-looking. Stoick began speaking with Gobber, and, from the bits and pieces that I could obtain, everyone was safe in the mead hall. With that, they closed and locked the door.

The long day in the hall dragged on as the storm refused to depart. At first, most were quiet with worry and uncertainty. After a nice dinner and, for some, a nap, the vikings began to liven up again. The children squealed around the room as the adults made jokes. At some point, not long after his father had returned, Hiccup went to join Astrid and the others and said I should come along.

I refused. That group always irritated me. Astrid was the star of dragon training before Hiccup began using his tricks. And she wasn't bitter about it at all. She was cheated out of the honor of killing the Monstrous Nightmare, yet she seems completely at ease around Hiccup. As for the others, they gave in too easily as well. Hiccup goes to them for help and they just jump at the request.

A child wandered up to me, jostling me from my thoughts, "Hey, Atli. Want to join our dragon game?"

"No." I snapped on her, irritable from being stuck with all these people I was forced to live with. She stepped away timidly, obviously about to cry, yet the tears did not fall until she was safe in her mother's arms.

I glanced around the room. There was Dire, feeding her pet from her hand. She was younger than me, yet had her own dragon. It was a large Nadder, too. Along with her, many of the littler children had been given dragons to care for. The adults said it was to learn responsibility, but it was really just a way to corrupt the smaller one's into believing in the absurd idea. It was everywhere in the village.

But, there was no leaving. Not only was there no where to go, I didn't have a ship to take me. My small boat wouldn't get me very far. And there was no way I was going to ride a dragon anywhere. So, I was stuck.

As soon as the storm let up, I was out the door. The damp, fresh smell of the rain was too nice to sit around inside. Instead, I headed to the forest. The grass was softer than normal, yet it was slippery. I had to proceed slowly and watch my step. The wrong amount of pressure on a certain spot could send me tumbling into a mossy, muddy slop.

I soon found myself in Hiccup's cove. The valley was much different, cast in a shadow of clouds with no birds in sight. The grass seemed pale, and even the waterfall seemed dull and gray. I walked the perimeter of the bowl, looking closely at the details. It was very nice, a lot nicer than my previous visit.

"This is a little surprising," I jumped when he spoke.

Turning to Hiccup, I didn't have a response. He noticed this and climbed down from the rock he was standing on. "It's a lot different after a storm," He pointed out.

I nodded, "Yeah, I almost can't remember what it looked like before."

We sat down on one of the large rocks, not saying much of anything; just pondering various thoughts. The slight drizzle that started up only drew our attention for a moment. When we were sure it wasn't another large storm, we went back to our minds.

"Will you let me show you something?" Hiccup asked this after a while of silence. I knew what he meant, but I didn't have a definite answer.

I paused for a moment. "I guess it can't be as bad as last time. Sure."

He jumped off the rock and started heading towards town and, after jogging a little to catch up with him, we walked together through the forest. We went to the center of the village, where Hiccup went up to one of the children and asked to borrow their pet. With consent, he brought the Nadder to where I stood.

I didn't run, but I watched the animal's every move. I had more curiosity for what Hiccup was planning than I had fear of the dragon. It acted like a bird, tilting it's head to watch around and hopping around on light feet. Yet, despite how innocent it acted, it still had large defensive spikes protruding back from it's head.

"You haven't left yet." With this comment, a small embarrassed flush came to my face, and once again, I could not think of anything to say.

He brought the animal closer, but let me fully close the distance to touch the rough skin. The scales felt a little more dry than Toothless' but were just as odd. After a moment, it turned its head towards me rubbing it against my arm, and I began petting the dragon.


	7. Chapter 7

p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Snoggletog. Our annual holiday in Berk. It carries both good and bad memories for me, yet I find myself jumping like a child to see what appears in my helmet each year. It holds magic for the people of Berk to last us through the winter./p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I stepped out of my house to see the preparations well underway, The villagers constructed the wooden tree last week...with the held of some not so enjoyable company. As I walked past, a Nadder's spikes flung through the air to pin up some shields.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The mead hall seemed inviting due to the mass amount of villagers decorating outside. As I reached for the handle, it jerked down suddenly and the door burst open with Hiccup tumbling out. He seemed anxious for something as I watched him run up to his father. They conversed for a moment before Stoick called together a town meeting. With that, everyone crammed into the hall and successfully ruined my breakfast.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Hiccup stood in front of the village and began his spiel, "Last year, the dragons all left in order to begin nesting. We must assume that they nest each year. So, until they all return, we are going to ban dragon riding. We can't have people accidentally kidnapped and missing Snogletog."p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Most willingly agreed with this. A few children protested, but they soon quieted, and the meeting continued without my attention. I picked at some splinters in the table as I knew the disrespect of leaving. As soon as the final decisions concluded, I was out the door and in my boat.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"It had been awhile since I had done any fishing, and despite the frigid cold, more fish dared to swim close to the island than when the dragons dotted the air. The sky remained pleasantly clear as I untied my boat and set off.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I hauled my catch to the handler and left him with my basket before making my way home. My elation over my decent haul was replaced with exhaustion and hunger. After a small dinner, I settled down in bed.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The loud growl rang in my ears even after it dissipated. The Gronkel charged towards my running form. At last, it caught up to me and lunged...p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"My body shot up, and I frantically looked around. Realization flooded over me as I faded out of my nightmare. I relaxed a bit and aimed an attempt at a few more hours of sleep before a real roar shook the house.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I stared fearfully at the walls and ceiling as I reminded myself to remain calm. The thought of sprinting down to the mead hall immediately crossed my mind. The thought of stepping outside terrified me, though. I figured that someone would surely come and let me know if it was bad enough. So, I grabbed my faded blanket and made a spot for myself under my desk against the wall.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The roars continued for a while yet there was no knock on the door.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I shifted from my place on the floor. I had somehow fallen asleep and, based on the light from the windows, midday closed in . I crawled out and dumped my pelt onto my bed before stepping down the stairs.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Opening my door made things a lot worse. Debris lay strewn everywhere. Empty fishing nets, buckets, tools, anything that wasn't tied down in the village lay anywhere the wind dropped it. Some even flown into trees and onto roofs. I noticed the clean up started already and I moved to being helping. As I reached the docks, something obviously displaced caught my eye. A ship leaned against a house far from its place in the water.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I stared, mouth agape. We wouldn't have too hard of a time getting it situated back where it belongs, but the sight of something so heavy blown completely out of place... It was amazing that only a few houses sported damages. And some displayed signs of repair.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I lifted a few stray objects and discovered their homes. I continued to help as much as possible, and we finished the job before dinner with everyone working together.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Just as people grabbed the last few items from the trees, Hiccup began reminding people of the ban on dragon riding. Most people listened and dismounted at once. Yet there were a couple that remained in the air. Hiccup went to drag them down. The few he spoke to jumped down, but before he reached her, Astrid's Nadder took off.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"As soon as it turned, the others followed. Hiccup ran for Toothless only to be held back by several villagers.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Just wait," they said. "Meeting first."p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"And with that, we all shuffled off towards the hall.p 


	8. Chapter 8

The chatter raised to an almost deafening volume as people spilled their worries. It took Stoick several minutes to settle everyone down.

"We need to be calm about this," He began. "Hiccup was at the nesting area last year and he returned to us alright. We should not worry." He, then, turned to his son and discussed the next step. The villagers began voicing their vexations but much quieter.

My uslessness was painfully obvious, so I remained in a seat as far into a corner as I could manage. Before I could settle into my thoughts, another topic was brought up: the storm.

"What was that?" "What happened to everything?" "Is it going to happen again?" Questions upon questions reached the chieftain's ears.

"The wind was strong last night, strong enough to lift a boat out of the water. But, our houses are stronger. Seeing as no one even noticed such powerful gales, we should be safe. Just remember to keep your possessions inside at night." Stoick easily calmed the crowd with the statement.

The meeting went on with Stoick and Hiccup announcing their plan for Hiccup to go retrieve Astrid. They were both composed which calmed the other villagers.

And with that, Hiccup called his dragon and set out.

I stepped outside towards the piers, wondering how there was no snow. It hadn't really hit me until then, but this Snoggletog hadn't shown any form of frozen precipitation. In years past, we got feet of it. Things would get buried so deep we couldn't reach them until winter. Not only the lack of snow caught my attention, but the weather had yet to fall to a frost-biting degree. It felt close to spring-time, even.

As I pushed my boat away from the island, I wondered if the fish knew it was winter. Based on my last couple trips to catch, they had traveled in abundance close to Berk, even with the dragons flying overhead: a great deviation to their normal migrations south. Now that the sky was free, they dared even further, swimming between the large stones that held torches.

I soon filled a couple baskets with fish and unloaded them onto the dock. I dropped off the haul and noticed the sun almost completing it's descent into the horizon. The day had gone by so quickly and I barely noticed that Hiccup wasn't around.

My house was as dark and empty as normal when I stepped inside. I ignored the piles of foods on the table and went up to my room. Plopping onto my bed, I pulled off my boots and crawled under the covers, ready for some sleep.

Confusion flooded over me the moment I woke up. There was loud chatter outside, but, based on the view from my miniscule window, the ground looked dry and there were no storm clouds in the sky. Wondering what all the bustle was about, I shoved my feet into my boots and yawned down the stairs.

Most of the village was gathered in the open area outside of the mead hall. I caught wind of the events before I even reached the front of the crowd.

"Hiccup, what are you saying?" "There couldn't possibly be a dragon like that." "We know all the types of dragons." "You've spent too much time around Gobber." "Storms, really? There's no way anyone would believe something like that."

Eventually, I was able to hear Hiccups voice above the rest, "It's true, I swear. And I'm going to need help with it. We need to figure out what to do."

There were a few mumbles as some disbelievers walked away.

"You should go get Astrid before Snoggletog." One woman, Astrid's mother, suggested intensly. Hiccup glanced over to her, aknowledging her comment.

It was then that he noticed me, "Atli, perfect. You have to help me out. This dragon, its the one creating all these storms. I need to figure out what to do with it."

"And you come to _me_ for help?" I gave him a look of complete confusion and skepticism.

"Well, no one else will really believe me. And their dragons are all off nesting."

"I don't have a dragon either."

"We can get you one, and then you can-"

"Hold up. Why can't you get someone else? If you can get a dragon for me, then surely you can get one for someone else."

He figited a bit, seeming to want to avoid the abashing subject, "They won't believe me."

"And what makes you think I will?"

His expression began to beg me before he voiced it. "Well, nothing. Just, please? I really need some help here."

I sighed and glanced at the horizon. This would mean more flying, and more dragons, and certainly some danger. I had never been off of Berk, save for some small fishing trips and the one ride on Toothless. It wasn't something I ever thought about either. I paused a moment to give it a little consideration.

"Alright, fine."


	9. Extra

p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I had set out early, as I did every morning, to start fishing. I hadn't been doing well; the fish seemed to avoid my boat. So, I had brought along a bit of bread to bait my fishing lines. It wasn't viking custom to use our food for animals. It was actually quite shameful, but my load was even more so. I was willing to risk it./p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"After a few hours, I had managed to catch a few more than usual, so I decided to head back. I put up my sail and turned for home. It was then that I realized in my want for more fish, I traveled out a lot farther than normal. It would take me quite awhile to reach the docks.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I looked around at the sky, seeing the few white wisps of clouds, and decided that the weather should be safe for my ride back. I laid back and let my eyes fall closed.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I awoke to the slight sound of flapping wings. As I sat up, I saw a small dragon land on the end of my boat. It was startling; dragons generally avoided people when they could. I glanced around, realizing that he must have come to snag a fish or two while I slept. I decided that was the fastest way to get him off my boat.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The dragon caught the fish easily, but instead of flying away satisfied, he began to creep towards me. I backed away slowly, pushing the fish behind me. I didn't have enough to share. When the dragon neared me, he began to rub against my arm. I lurched back, almost tipping my boat in the process. Dragons didn't do that.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"He made a soft noise in his throat before jumping into my boat and curling up on one of the benches. He looked really harmless. Before thinking, I began to reach my hand towards it. I rubbed the scales a bit before the dragon jerked its head up, and I froze.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"With swift movements, the dragon bit my hand and flew off into the air. I sat, surprised and inspecting the punctures, while I cursed the stupid dragon.p 


	10. Chapter 9

p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"He had my arm and was pulling me towards Toothless. Once we got close, I pulled away. Everything was so rushed, I wanted to take a second to think. I would have to ride on a dragon again. I wouldn't be able to get off when I wanted; we'd be over the ocean. I was beginning to chicken out./p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Come on, Atli. We have to hurry." His pressuring pushed be towards his pet.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I took a deep breath; this is what I got for not agreeing with everyone else when I had the chance. I climbed up and settled myself on Toothless. Hiccup climbed up after me and wasted no time in taking off. I held on tight and kept my eyes closed as we took a detour towards the hatching island.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Before we landed, I peeked my eyes open. It was amazing. There were so many dragons filling the island to the edges. There were some rolling there eggs towards the small pools of water. There were so many babies, and I had to admit that they were pretty cute. We found Astrid sitting by Stormfly, petting the small Nadders that hopped around.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"We landed next to her and Hiccup immediately began explaining his delay in arriving and the lack of help. Before long, she noticed me staring about, and questioned him about it.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Atli agreed to help." He explained before stating that I would need a dragon. Astrid gave me a questioning glance before we started our search. We decided on a smaller looking Nadder. The spikes around the head still scared me, but there was too much pressure that I ignored my fear.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I reached out slowly, and the Nadder eagerly closed the distance between its nose and my hand. She seemed to like me, so I trusted her.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""We'll need to figure out how to get off the island without any other dragons following us. We'd start the migration home through a giant storm." Hiccup glanced around to think of a way. He noticed a few take off low to the ground and skim over the water, hunting for food for there young. "Of course."p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"We all started from different places along the same shore. Once in the air, we slid above the ocean until we couldn't see the island well, and ascended. I began to adjust to being in the air. The Nadder was larger than Toothless and seemed safer, more aware.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"It didn't take long to see the large dragon in the distance. It was floating in the open sea, puffing dark clouds into the air. It was the largest thing I had ever seen. It could gulp down two or three viking houses in one bite. And, for some reason, we were flying straight for it.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I was beyond nervous and could feel my hands shaking uncontrollably. I seriously regretted agreeing to the journey. I glanced over to my companions, noting how they seemed almost calm. Hiccup had a serious expression that I had never seen, and Astrid looked more excited than when she prepared for battle a few years before.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"We hovered in the air, as Hiccup told us to. He flew around quickly to try to find a way to stop the dragon. When he returned, he immediately explained his plan.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" p 


	11. Chapter 10

p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"We were in position, ready for battle. Hiccup waited to give the signal; our timing was important. Once he raised his arm, we were off, aiming for the large dragon./p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Our dragons fired and we pulled up, heading for the sky before spreading out. I picked up my speed, nervous and terrified of the giant's potential. It could cause a lot more damage than us. We were quicker, though. We could dodge its attacks fairly easily. It was also a larger target..p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"We continued to bombard it with fire until it sank down into the ocean. We waited, but the surface was calm. Hiccup seemed to think that it would come up at a specific spot as he was squinting into the water. Astrid was watching him, trusting him with the battle. Something was off, though, and I couldn't figure out what it was. I began scanning the sea and searching for a clue.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Just as I turned to look behind Hiccup, I barely spotted the water rippling and the points of spikes appearing above the surface. The sight startled me; the dragon was a lot closer than before.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I was able to see it clearly then. It was a large, deep blue monster. Spikes protruded from its skin in hundreds of places. There were crustaceans and other aquatic life glued to the many scales. Such a characteristic was said to be found on the largest sea monsters that flourished in the darkest of depths of the ocean.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I called out to the other two just as the dragon prepared a shot. We turned our dragons and sped from the blast. The explosion pushed us even faster, threatening to dislodge us all from our rides. The water leaped up in the tall waves seen during the recent storms. I was just able to see Hiccup and Toothless speed off towards the dragon to deliver another shot in retaliation.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Things began to calm down, and Astrid and I made our way to help Hiccup in his current task. I could tell that the monster was preparing another blast, so I turned my dragon to avoid it. Astrid and Hiccup's ignorance to the fact took a moment to reach me. By the time I yelled at them, the attack was already fired. I could see Hiccup lurch out of the way, but Astrid was heading for the opposite side of the blast: I couldn't tell if she had dodged it or if she hadn't.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Hiccup and I braced ourselves for the explosion to come. The water splashed up again, and we were temporarily blind, save for a few feet around us. As the droplets rained down around us, we kept a careful watch out for Astrid, ignoring the large dragon's movements.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Just as soon as we saw Astrid and Stormfly in the air a bit away, the monster swung his tail around, smashing right into me and my dragon. I began tumbling down to the ocean. The only things my eyes could decipher were the water and the sky. I could feel my body twisting and turning in the air. Suddenly, I sensed an extra rush of wind and saw a black blur just above me. Toothless was barely able to grasp onto my flailing foot. As we flew, I could feel myself slipping, though.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I tried to lift my torso up so I could grab onto Toothless, but I was too late. My foot was free and I was falling again. I was calmer this time. I decided to dive into the water, figuring that would hurt less than landing however the air decided to allow me.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I placed my hands together, and the water rushed around me.p 


	12. Chapter 11

p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I gasped for air as soon as I surfaced. I had no idea how long I had been under. Based on how high I began falling, I could have gone pretty deep. I glanced around to see what had happened. The large dragon seemed to be slightly more worn out and a lot more angry, but Hiccup and Astrid appeared to be in control. They took up a pattern, taking turns in attacking their opponent./p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"My gaze shifted, looking for my dragon. I noticed a small rock not far from us and figured she decided to rest there. I returned to the fight, seeing the three figures obviously tiring. Toothless seemed a lot slower, and Stormfly kept low to the water. It didn't look good.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I bobbed in the water, waves crashing into my face. It was difficult to keep tabs on where everyone was. They sped through the air, tired yet willing. The two vikings kept up the fight, knowing that the dragon was beyond furious and would not lay quietly.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"It seemed sudden to me, but could not have happened too soon for Astrid, Hiccup, and their dragons, who were all exhausted. The monster began to loose its balance, slipping from the air. As it came crashing into the sea, I took a deep breath. The large waves were guaranteed and crashed ruthlessly on me. I fell under the surface, doing my best to swim upward.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"When I could breathe again, I found Hiccup and Astrid searching for me. Toothless swung around, and I climbed up, directing them to the rock. The dragon, sprawled on the small island, barely looked up at us. I jumped down, feeling a slight tingle in my ankles and shins as I jogged towards her.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The blast hit her directly, leaving a deep line of dark blood in her stomach. There was no way she could fly with that. Hiccup and Astrid seemed startled at the sight; I could see them glance at each other out of the corner of my eye. Instead of looking to them for assistance, I scanned the island. I spotted wads of seaweed towards the water's edge. After rinsing them in the sea, I held some onto my dragon's wound, applying as much pressure as I was able.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"After a few minutes, I noticed Astrid glide away on Stormfly.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""She's going back to Berk to bring some help," Hiccup had explained.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I focused on my task, not caring much to know a reason for her departure. I racked my brain, thinking of any injuries I witnessed and how they were treated. I came from a fishing family, so there were plenty of injuries, mostly small and insignificant. A few I remembered, mostly from my brother, who could never sit still. He left early and rarely returned home before sundown. His many adventures had brought all sorts of scrapes, cuts, bruises.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"When he would run home with tears in his eyes, I would generally be there; I spent most of my time helping my mother at home or my father at the docks My mother would sit him down, fix his scrapes and give him a kiss before sending him off on another adventure.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"With this, I was able to remember a small amount of vital information. I guessed that the wound would need to be stitched, but I had no materials or ability to preform such a procedure. I stood there, leaning my weight onto the seaweed, unable to do anything but will the cut to close. I whispered to the dragon and myself, mostly useless things. I tried to keep my mind busy; the thought of this animal loosing it's life because of me was upsetting. This creature would have had a peaceful life if I had never come around.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"After what seemed like days, Astrid returned with some materials and the Village healer, who went straight to the dragon. We still didn't know much about the anatomy, but she able enough to help. I dubbed myself as useless and stepped out of the way. I had no idea how long it had been since we came upon the injured dragon. The only thing I had to go by was the dull ache in my legs that urged me to sit. I couldn't help but to stretch out on the ground. At first, I figured worry would surpass exhaustion, but that was not the case, and I fell into a nap.p 


	13. Extra 2

p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I slipped down the stairs and into the kitchen, not surprised to see it empty. I shuffled around, grabbing a small breakfast. Once I sat down at the table, I noticed the present. The brand new fishing pole shined slightly in the morning sun. I turned it around in my hands, amazed at the glow of the polished wood. Most of my materials came from my brother after he was finished with them./p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Just as I set it back down, my mother stepped into the house, arms full of ropes. "Do you like it? Your brother got it for you."p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I looked up at her to make sure she was serious. Turning back to the present, I ran a finger across it. She dropped the ropes on the table next to be before grabbing a few things and heading out the door again. I instinctively lifted the ropes, weaving them together into a tight net. I stared at the pole as I looped. It was simple, as all fishing poles were on Berk. It had a thin wire slipped through leather straps around the width, holding the line loosely in place.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"It was very inventive. My brother must have added the leather and changed the wire's attachment. The design allowed me to pull in the wire, but keep the pole in place. I jumped up, grabbing the present and the net and sprinting out the door.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I had my boat released in minutes, and was out away from the docks quicker than ever. I let some of my nets and lines out, taking a hook from one to have an extra for my pole. I then turned to ensuring that the wire was secure and casting out. I had never fished with a pole before this; they had only recently made their way to Berk, but after much practice and few fish, I caught on.p 


	14. Chapter 12

p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The slight sound of conversation drew me from sleep. The sun had set and a fire was crackling near me. I tried to calm myself as I stood. The few feet to the dragon, my dragon, was the longest distance I had ever walked. Hiccup and Astrid were talking near the shore, as the healer continued to watch over the Nadder. I looked at the stitched wound. It looked better, but looks meant nothing./p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I turned to the healer, not sure if I even wanted to know how bad it was. Her face was grim; exhaustion darkened her eyes, and worry pulled at her mouth. I barely caught the slight shake of the head that she used to answer my unspoken question.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The beating of wings drew my eyes to the sky. The two dragons flew in the direction of Berk.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I shall return as well." The healer spoke softly before departing on a dragon herself.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I dropped down near my Nadder, placing a hand on her nose. "I'm sorry. I stole you from your home... your home that you will never see again." Speaking to her seemed to bring us both some comfort. "My brother would have loved to see you. Nadders have always been his favorite." Our one-sided conversation continued until I noticed Astrid and Hiccup nearing with some company. Once they landed, we rolled the Nadder onto a tarpaulin for the ride home.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Hiccup offered for me to ride on Toothless, so I hauled myself up and settled in for the ride. Each dragon took a hold of the ropes to lift the injured one up. We set off for Berk, the riders trying to jostle as little as possible. The landed softly and I stepped down, heading straight for my dragon's side. I knelt down, stroking her scales. "Dusk." I decided with a sigh. "Your name is Dusk."p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"There was some rushing around me as villagers gathered some creams and salves to ward off infection. Many comments were launched toward me, telling of the hope for my dragon. The words may have reached my ears, but my brain did not accept the message. I sat by Dusk, petting her, talking to her, and watching her labored breathing deep into the night. A fire was started and blankets were brought out.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"At some point, Hiccup sat beside me, holding out a plate of food. "You should eat." I shook my head, not able to think about food. After a while, most of the villagers left, each going home to get sleep. Hiccup stayed, but soon drifted off.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Just as I, myself, began to fall asleep, something knocked the exhaustion away. Dusk had lifted her head and was nudging my arm with it. I raised my hand, petting her softly. Once she laid back down, I could feel something was off. Tears drifted down my cheeks as her breathing slowed to a stop. She was gone.p 


	15. Chapter 13

p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I couldn't find the strength to move even a finger. I remained completely still, my hand resting on her head. After a moment, I noticed Hiccup next to me with a comforting hand on my shoulder. He allowed me to sit for a while before speaking./p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""She'll get a proper send off." His voice was soft, and I barely registered his words. I gave a slight nod, yet refused to move from my spot.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Hiccup stayed for a while longer before disappearing without a word. Moments later, I felt a familiar hand on my shoulder. I glanced around to confirm my thoughts. My brother crouched next to be, expression simple, saying nothing. He didn't need to; he never did. Seeing his face allowed me to relax enough to let tears flow silently.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The others were quick to prepare the funeral, and it began that night. I stood on the shore, looking down at Dusk placed in her boat.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I'm sorry." I knew I could never say this to her enough.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The boat was pushed off and the arrows released, and it was done. The small time with my dragon was over. As the fire drifted off to sea and out of sight, the villagers began to disperse. I stared numbly at the horizon as Hiccup moved beside me.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Come on, Atli, you should get inside." He stared, examining me. Finding no opinion of my own about the matter, I decided to go with Hiccup's and turned towards home. He walked with me the entire way, stopping at the doorway.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I'll see you tomorrow." He was staring at the I gave him a slight nod before turning to head inside. Before I could open the door, however, he grabbed my arm, looking me straight in the eyes./p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""Atli, I'm sorry."p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"The sunlight woke me up in a dazed confusion. It took me a moment to remember the previous day, and with these memories, I decided to remain in bed. I glanced down at my blanket, and recognizing its origin, I threw it to a corner.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"It was never something I thought about: using dragons' skins, scales, or claws. Glancing around my room, I noticed many other things that were crafted in the death of such creatures. I jumped up, grabbing a helmet off the wall. I stared at the dragon claws sticking from the sides before chucking it to land with the blanket. A few more items landed in the pile before I heard a knock on the door.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I took a few breaths before dropping back onto my bed. "What?"p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"Hiccup took this as an invitation to come in and opened the door. "Are you okay?" His worry flooded into the room.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I'm fine. What do you want?" I stared at my window even though I could only see clouds beyond it.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""I wanted to talk to you." With no response from me, he continued. "It isn't your fault, what happened."p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I couldn't help but look back at him. "What do you mean?"p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""You weren't the one that decided on any of this. You didn't even want to go. I'm the one that wouldn't listen to you. I'm the one that made you go fight with me. It's my fault."p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I simply stared at him. As much as his point made sense, I didn't actually think that this could have been his fault. I took a breath to speak but was cut off.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""You shouldn't blame yourself. You didn't know what would happen. You were just trying to help me. You-"p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""You need to listen to your own words."p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"He stopped, glancing back at me. "But-"p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;""But nothing. We aren't soothsayers; we can't know the future. There is no point in regretting something that we can't change. I'm not going to waste my time on regret. I'm going to spend it bettering myself so nothing like this happens again. I'm going to learn from this."p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"We sat in silence for a moment before he stood, said goodbye, and left.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"I was not going to let death destroy me. Losing Dusk had taught me so much, and I would not waste that knowledge. I got to my feet, moving down the stairs and to my door. I stepped outside, looking into the sky. Many dragons with their riders were gliding in the sunlight. I knew this would be okay. I knew I would be okay.p  
>p style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"This is Berk. The weather is harsh, and the food is tough. We have dragons and Vikings, and we seem to be getting along. I used to think that my life had no place for change (or dragons), but then I changed. Not everything happens as we wish, but we can all continue on. We lose some things, but gain others. We've gone through a lot, and there is more to come. However, there is nothing to fear. We are Vikings we can conquer it all.p 


End file.
